MPH Program in Health Services
Our program's mission is to prepare leaders to improve health in diverse populations by solving problems in rapidly changing societies and health systems. We offer analytical and practical knowledge and skills to candidates who have some experience in health fields and who want to assume positions of greater responsibility in improving the public's health and the effectiveness of health care and population health services. Our program's primary focus is population health and the health care system in the United States.
The MPH program in Health Services consistently ranks among the best. Our 2-year program offers exceptional instruction in research methods, health care systems, health economics, health promotion, and the social determinants of health. By combining these disparate domains into a single degree, we afford students a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary study and work.
As the 2020 novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has powerfully illustrated, radical wealth inequality, racism, and other forms of systemic oppression are major drivers of health inequities in the United States. There are huge disparities in access to Covid-19 testing. A large proportion of our "essential" workforce (e.g., grocery store clerks, delivery drivers, childcare providers) has inadequate access to both health care and paid sick leave, causing significant individual and community harms. Systemic racism and other social determinants of health are causing Black Americans to die of Covid-19 at higher rates in many communities right now. Temporary closures of schools and other agencies have meant that many children in critical need of mental health services are having to go without, and this is hitting less-privileged families the hardest. At the University of Washington, we believe that ALL people have a right to health. Our Health Services MPH program is committed to training Health Services practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to tackle health inequities and promote health justice, in their home communities, and nationally.
We offer a General Program, as well as elective concentrations in:
Info Sessions
- Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 12-1 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
RSVP here - Tuesday, May 16, 2023, 12-1 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
RSVP here
Or watch a recorded information session at your convenience.
MPH Student Lance Frankel Studies Emergency School Meals in COVID
For his MPH practicum project, Lance worked with Dr. Jesse Jones-Smith and Lina Walkinshaw via the UW Nutritional Sciences Program to conduct an analysis of emergency school meal programs across Washington State during the COVID-19 pandemic. "All families want to feed their children nutritious foods," says Lance, "but if school meals are unavailable, this goal can slip out of reach.” read more...
Dr. Douglas Diekema Helps WA Prioritize COVID-19 Resource Allocation
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most enduring challenges of the pandemic response in the United States has been shortage: of masks, ICU beds, ventilators, and vaccines. Physician, ethicist, and Health Services MPH alumnus Dr. Douglas Diekema (’93) has played a unique role in helping to develop Washington State’s approach to allocating precious resources during the pandemic. read more...
KeliAnne Hara-Hubbard Assesses Asian American-Serving Community Orgs
“Asian American communities and the organizations that serve them have been incredibly resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite institutional barriers and racial discrimination,” says KeliAnne. read more...